Great Lakes

(MPRN-South Haven) Governor Rick Snyder says a new shipping lock in Joliet, Illinois is needed to stop Asian carp from making their way from the Mississippi River system to the Great Lakes. But, Snyder says it’s taking too long to get the project started.

Gary Wilson says most observers are not surprised by the Trump administration’s approach to the Great Lakes so far. The contributor to Detroit Public Television’s Great Lakes Bureau says the Trump campaign did signal support for Great Lakes restoration in 2016, but also said there would be changes in the Environmental Protection Agency.

Environmental Policy Advisor and author Dave Dempsey says a budget is about setting priorities. He says states have to reshuffle priorities if they truly care about the Great Lakes. Dempsey says that’s especially true for Michigan, the Great Lakes state.

There’s a long wish list of Great Lakes projects and advocates want federal money to help pick up the tab. Gary Wilson who reports for greatlakesnow.org says that will mean political battles over who pays and how much.